Travel & International International Attendees: A valid passport and visa are required of most visitors to the United States. Attendees should check with their local consulates or embassies. If a letter of invitation is required to secure a visa, please send us your request at least six weeks prior to your planned travel by submitting your information online. Your full name, address and complete fax number will be needed. We regret that we cannot email these letters. Air Transportation: Information about travel discounts will be posted soon! Nearby Airports include Los Angeles International (LAX) and Long Beach (LGB) Car Rental: Car Rental discount information will be posted soon! Travel Tips: Service charges or tips are generally not included in published prices in the United States. Restaurant servers, taxi drivers, etc., generally expect a tip of at least 15%. Smoking in public areas is usually prohibited in the United States. Smokers should seek out designated smoking areas in hotels, restaurants, and other businesses. Congress Dress: Business casual attire is appropriate for most Geo-Trans Conference events. Although jackets are not required for the sessions, jackets or sweaters that can be removed are advisable because conference rooms may be cool. However, July can be quite hot in Los Angeles, so the best plan may be to dress in layers, so that as you move from one building to another on campus you can adjust your clothing. Climate: Southern California's climate has often been described as "perfect" and with good reason. It is mostly sunny and warm with gentle ocean breezes in the summer. The humidity is low with little rain. The last time it snowed in LA was on January 10, 1949, and even then, it was only 3/10 of an inch. Annual precipitation: 14.79 inches Average days of rain: 34.2 days Average sunny/partly sunny days: 291.7 days Average mean temperature: 66.3ºF. Expect July temperatures in the 90's! Electricity: The electricity used in the United States is standard electricity, which is 110 volts. Please bring the appropriate adapters and transformers for any appliances or computers that you bring to the Congress, as these are not readily available in the United States for adaptation FROM overseas appliances. Grants: We regret that ASCE is not able to award any grants to attend the conference. However, grants are sometimes available for qualified applicants through the following organizations. Please contact them directly to ascertain if they will be able to assist you: National Science Foundation www.nsf.gov or (703) 292-5111 USAID www.usaid.gov or (202) 712-0000 UNESCO www.unesco.org